Berlie Doherty - author

Our small reading group, Bolsover Townswomen's Guild Book Club, was lucky enough to be picked from a draw of reading groups in Derbyshire, to received a visit from Berlie Doherty a local Derbyshire author. She came to our meeting today and we really enjoyed her visit. She talked about books in general and her own in particular, giving a reading from one of her books, a children's novel called 'Street Child.' She has published around 60 books from all genres but concentrating mainly on children's books. She is currently Derbyshire County Council's Reading Champion, encouraging reading from primary schools into old age. Unfortunately, her tenure ends this month and no funds are available to renew the post. On a more personal level, as an as yet unpublished fiction writer, I found her totally inspiring and most encouraging. She has given me new heart to continue.

I have now submitted my social history article, Working in t'Mill, and sourced some suitable photographs. It is due to appear, I think, in the May issue of Family History Monthly. I will post on here any further news.

A most satisfactory day all round, especially as I managed to cut back my hellebore leaves to show the coming flowers to more advantage. I know we will have more cold weather to come but I thought there was a definite hint of spring in the air today...

Progress to date

I've been working hard on the rewrite and so far, so good. I do feel it's coming along well, still more work to do though. There's plenty of external conflict in Save The Last Dance For Me but I need to work in more internal conflict. That I don't find easy but I keep trying. 

Facebook has been keeping me busy, trying to find my way round the site. I bought a second hand copy of 'Facebook for Dummies' but unfortunately, my version of Facebook doesn't tally with their version! Still, there's one or two useful pointers so it's not been  a waste of time. One of the results of being on Facebook is that I know have more communication with my brother who lives in France and whom I haven't seen for over two years. Also, an American friend who I hadn't heard from for several years got in touch through Facebook. I can quite see that playing around on it could be addictive.....

Writing News

Since the New Year, I've been doing a rewrite of Save The Last Dance For Me, to make it shorter, tighter and, hopefully, better. Already I've cut three chapters that I didn't feel were contributing much to the plot. Any sections that I felt were necessary, I've included as flashbacks in another chapter. Already it seems to be working better with a smooth transition between chapters. I have rejoined the New Writers' Scheme of the Romantic Novelists Association and will resubmit the typescript for a further opinion.

A lengthy letter based on some family history research I have done has appeared in the February issue of Family History Monthly. I haven't seen it myself yet, but someone has told me it's there. Hopefully, the same magazine will be printing a short article of mine this summer based on my experience of working in a cotton mill. Now I just have to write the article ...

Facebook - and some good news

I've been struggling with Facebook for the past week or so as the 'Facebook for Dummies' book that I bought second hand doesn't seem to bear any relation to what's on the computer screen before me. I will sort it but I guess it will take time.

I had two bits of good news today. A couple of months ago, I submitted a letter about a breakthrough that I'd had in my family history and I learned today that it is to be featured in the February issue of Family History Monthly, a national genealogy magazine. While submitting that, I mentioned a couple of ideas for articles to the editor. She didn't want either of those because they had more more less been covered in previous issues but she did ask me if I could put together a social history article on my experiences working as a weaver in a Lancashire cotton mill in the distant past. Today, I received confirmation that she definitely wants the article and that it will be  in the May issue. These two bits of good news have boosted me no end. The fiction market is a harder nut to crack!

I'm on Facebook!

Hey, I'm on Facebook! I always swore I would keep clear of Facebook and Twitter but having read that these are essential tools in 'getting your name out there', I decided sign up, first of all for Facebook. I'll try Twitter later. Just now, I'm still finding my way round the site.

Had a quiet Christmas, just the two of us, but enjoyable just the same. That's how it's been for the last four Christmases, since my elderly mother died in 2008. We'd always spent Christmases with first, in the first place, my Dad, then after he died, just with my Mum. Even after three years (she died just before Christmas), we still miss her and the Advocaat doesn't taste the same without her! Neither of my children live close by but I spoke to both of them on Christmas Day. Having said that, I don't think I could cope with a noisy Christmas!

A minor success!

A few weeks ago, I received a card saying that my entry for a short story competition had been highly commended and had been included in a published anthology. I'd forgotten about that but then this last week, I received my copy of the anthology and there it was, my short story on the printed page. What's more the secretary of the competition had sent me a letter and making an amusing reference which led me to understand that she had read the story and that it had some resonance with her. I found that as encouraging as having the story published.

I've been very lax about blogging of late but we have been busy decorating before Christmas and I am finding it hard to be motivated at the moment. I will take up my pen after Christmas - promise!

More on the balloon fiasco!

It was only after reading Marilyn's comment - thanks M - that I realised I had meant to post about the sequel to the balloon fiasco. The delivery was due on 1st November so on the morning, I very reluctantly tied the blown up balloon to a metal post on the edge of our front garden and next door's. When I looked out of the window about ten minutes later, the balloon had gone. At first, I thought that it had blown away then I saw that my next door neighbour was out cleaning his car and wondered if he had taken it down.

He confessed that he had and what's more had popped it! He'd thought that some trick or treaters from the night before (31st October) had played a trick and tied the balloon to the metal post. He was most apologetic but I simply laughed. When the delivery was made, I mentioned to the driver what had happened. I guessed from what he said that he didn't think much to the idea either and agreed with me that the idea probably originated with some university graduate trying to justify his existence.